I recently engaged in an experiment where I had to log everything I did for an entire week in increments of 15 minutes. This was a rather obnoxious process (for lack of a better term) at first. I will be honest, I was pretty bitter about it when I first engaged, but it was something I had to do for school in order to finish my internship, so the motivation was easy to be found. (side note: I am done with college!)
As annoying as I found this process to be, I did learn something from it that I will not forget. I was told that I would find something beneficial from it, but I thought it would be an attempt to point out how much time I waste each day, but that wasn't it (which isn't as much time as I have been accused of wasting).
There were times when I would find myself doing random things that aren't bad things, they were just things that don't amount to anything at the end of the day. Don't judge me, I know whoever is reading this right now was probably either on facebook before reading this or had plans to check it at the conclusion of this entry. When I would realize that it had been 15 minutes of doing nothing important or in some cases longer, the thing that would always come into my head is, "Make the next 15 minutes count. Do something productive."
I didn't even realize how many times I thought this same thing to myself, but it was a couple times a day. The thing I found interesting was that, no one really knew whether or not I had spent 15 minutes or sometimes even 30 minutes not doing anything productive, but I knew it. And there was nothing I could do about the past 15 minutes to change it, but I always had the next 15 to do something that would look good when I logged what I had done. When 15 minutes were up they were up, I couldn't get them back. Sometimes I had something to show for them, sometimes I had nothing, but no matter what I always had the next 15 minutes to do something.
Lesson learned: it doesn't matter what you have done that has been a waste of time in the past because you can't do anything about that. You can do something different in the next year. Make this next year count. There is no reason to lament what has already been done, just do things different from now on.
Jesus did the same thing with the woman caught in adultery in John 8. Everyone wants to stone the girl for what she did, but Jesus bends down and speaks to her, but he doesn't condemn her like the audience might expect. He doesn't say, "shame on you" or "you should have done better than that." The woman knows that what she did was wrong, so these things would not be helpful for this lady. Jesus simply bends down and says, "I don't condemn you. Go and do things different." He just tells her, in my paraphrase, "you can't do anything about the past, so just do things different from now on. Make the next year, two years, or decade count, because that, you can control."
Jim Collins tells the story of a conversation he had with his mentor and his mentor told him to stop worrying about whether or not he would be successful and wealthy. He told him, "why don't you just go make yourself useful?"
So that is the challenge in the next year. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, you still have the option of what to do with the next year. So make yourself useful.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
What is the Gospel?
I would like to know what the Gospel message really is. I don’t know that I completely understand it right now, but I think it might be possible to know. To sum up the Gospel in one sentence might be a little irresponsible, but I have been thinking about it for a little while and I have a few thoughts on what it might be about. I think the Gospel message is about the restoration of broken things. Whether those broken things are physical (ailments, cancer, etc.), relational with other people, or relational with God. I think that Jesus came to show us how to restore relationships with other people as well as be the atonement for our sins, which is what separated us from God. Because of Jesus’ blood we are able to be in the presence of the Father. Because of Jesus’ blood we are able to have the Holy Spirit residing within us and empowering us to carry out the Gospel, which is to restore and repair those that are broken. It is as if Jesus took that barrier down, but you and I still have to choose to walk through the gap where a barrier once existed.
Most people say that there is nothing that we can do to get to Heaven, but the Bible says that there is nothing we can do to separate us from the love of God. God loves us no matter what we do, just as a parent will love their child no matter how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ they are, but God, just like any good parent is just. God has an indescribable love for us, but it is still our choice whether we carry out the Gospel mission or not and that seems to be what Jesus is concerned about. In Matthew Jesus tells the story about separating the goats and the sheep. The thing that separates the goats and the sheep, in Jesus’ eyes, is what that person did or didn’t do for the least of these in His name. So, according to Jesus, there has to be something that we can do in order to experience eternity with Him. ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life.’ Another way of saying ‘believes in Him’ would be to say, ‘trusts in Him.’ This paints a little better picture. Trust is what I do when I sit down on a chair. I fully trust the chair to support me and all my weight. Whoever trusts in Him and relies on Him will have eternal life, because they are experiencing the kind of relationship they were supposed to have with God. One where we are dependant on the One who can give us life and satisfy every need that we have, but also, one where we are free from the bondage of sin that had previously oppressed us.
So, I think there are two different questions usually being asked when we talk about what Jesus came to do. There is the question of, ‘what did Jesus’ death do for us?’ and the question of, ‘what is the Gospel?’ I think Jesus’ death was the breaking of the barrier between God and His prized creation, and I think the Gospel is restoration. While forgiveness of sins is a part of restoration, it is only that, a part of it. You can look at restoration however you want, but I think as long as you are meeting needs of those around you I believe you are living out the Gospel.
I think another layer to that would be 1 Peter 3:15, ‘always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks about this hope you have.’ Because you have been set free of many things, you will walk about with some sort of hope that is just hard for other people to understand. So, don’t be alarmed when other people ask you about this hope that you seem to have for a better tomorrow, in fact, be prepared with an answer for them. There should be some sort of glow to your face and a little bounce in your step, you should be happy and excited above all else. I don’t think that this necessarily means we are just supposed to share the Gospel with everyone around us though. Some people who try to share this ‘hope’ that they have don’t really seem to have much hope. In which case, other people would only ask where their hope comes from is so he or she can run as far away from that source as possible.
Faith, love, and holiness is where Paul tells Timothy salvation comes from. What is faith if you never have trust in or rely on something or someone? What is love if it is never acted out through meeting the needs of others? What is holiness, period?
Maybe this is what the Gospel looks like. Maybe this looks like the Gospel you have believed in and put your faith in, but this is different than the picture that was painted for me when I was growing up.
Most people say that there is nothing that we can do to get to Heaven, but the Bible says that there is nothing we can do to separate us from the love of God. God loves us no matter what we do, just as a parent will love their child no matter how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ they are, but God, just like any good parent is just. God has an indescribable love for us, but it is still our choice whether we carry out the Gospel mission or not and that seems to be what Jesus is concerned about. In Matthew Jesus tells the story about separating the goats and the sheep. The thing that separates the goats and the sheep, in Jesus’ eyes, is what that person did or didn’t do for the least of these in His name. So, according to Jesus, there has to be something that we can do in order to experience eternity with Him. ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life.’ Another way of saying ‘believes in Him’ would be to say, ‘trusts in Him.’ This paints a little better picture. Trust is what I do when I sit down on a chair. I fully trust the chair to support me and all my weight. Whoever trusts in Him and relies on Him will have eternal life, because they are experiencing the kind of relationship they were supposed to have with God. One where we are dependant on the One who can give us life and satisfy every need that we have, but also, one where we are free from the bondage of sin that had previously oppressed us.
So, I think there are two different questions usually being asked when we talk about what Jesus came to do. There is the question of, ‘what did Jesus’ death do for us?’ and the question of, ‘what is the Gospel?’ I think Jesus’ death was the breaking of the barrier between God and His prized creation, and I think the Gospel is restoration. While forgiveness of sins is a part of restoration, it is only that, a part of it. You can look at restoration however you want, but I think as long as you are meeting needs of those around you I believe you are living out the Gospel.
I think another layer to that would be 1 Peter 3:15, ‘always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks about this hope you have.’ Because you have been set free of many things, you will walk about with some sort of hope that is just hard for other people to understand. So, don’t be alarmed when other people ask you about this hope that you seem to have for a better tomorrow, in fact, be prepared with an answer for them. There should be some sort of glow to your face and a little bounce in your step, you should be happy and excited above all else. I don’t think that this necessarily means we are just supposed to share the Gospel with everyone around us though. Some people who try to share this ‘hope’ that they have don’t really seem to have much hope. In which case, other people would only ask where their hope comes from is so he or she can run as far away from that source as possible.
Faith, love, and holiness is where Paul tells Timothy salvation comes from. What is faith if you never have trust in or rely on something or someone? What is love if it is never acted out through meeting the needs of others? What is holiness, period?
Maybe this is what the Gospel looks like. Maybe this looks like the Gospel you have believed in and put your faith in, but this is different than the picture that was painted for me when I was growing up.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
A Little Fellow Follows Me
Last weekend I was in North Kahki-Lacki! Ok... I have actually never heard anyone from North Carolina say that, but I have a friend who swears some people call it North Cacki-Lacki... so, people from North Carolina who might have been offended by that, I'm sorry.
Anyway...
I was in North Carolina last weekend! It was my annual fall visit to the great state. Every time I go down there there are more children than the year before. This year I had the pleasure to meet Daniel.
He, like any child, is a big ole sponge. He loves watching people, repeating what they say, and doing what they do.
I always have fun when I go down there, but I always come back with something learned or a new perspective on something. Sometimes it is simply a reminder of a simple truth that for some reason comes front and center. There is definitely a reason that Jesus always compares things to little children: because they live simple lives. The major reason most people don't live the way Jesus calls them to live is because they have so much going on that they have been trained to think is important that it is impossible for them to live for Christ. When you look at children, they have nothing that is their own, they are dependent on someone else to provide their basic needs, and they just want someone to love.
For years now, I have been teaching other people how to live their lives the way Jesus would want them to. It is crazy to think that I have spent more time, teaching and preparing to teach others how to live their lives than I have looking at my own life. Now I look at my life from time to time, but whenever I am taking in new information or knowledge I commonly am taking it in through the filter of, "how am I going to teach this to someone else." I know this isn't right, but it's true. This brings me to the realization I came to this weekend: other people are watching me live and are trying to live in the same way I am. That isn't an arrogant statement, it is just reality. You have people who are trying to live like you are too. You can choose to ignore that in the name of humility, but it is true.
There are two different questions to ask here, but the problem is they are very different questions which often get confused for the same question. The first is, "Am I following Jesus?" and the second is, "Am I a person I would follow and/or encourage others to follow?" If you can honestly say yes to the first one, then the second should be a fairly easy yes.
The problem is that people think if you can say yes to the second question then you are following Jesus. There are some very good people in whom I would entrust many things, but they are not following Jesus. But that is another topic for another time. I am not here to talk about that, but simply the importance of introspection and looking at whether you are really the person you are trying to be?
Hopefully this poem by the great basketball coach, John Wooden, will help:
A careful man I ought to be,
A little fellow follows me,
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he'll go the selfsame way.
I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate'er he sees me do, he tries;
Like me, he says, he's going to be,
The little chap who follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine
The base in me he must not see,
The little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go,
Through summer's fun and winter's snow,
In building for the years to be
The little chap who follows me!
If I ever think no one is watching me, I am fooling myself.
Anyway...
I was in North Carolina last weekend! It was my annual fall visit to the great state. Every time I go down there there are more children than the year before. This year I had the pleasure to meet Daniel.
He, like any child, is a big ole sponge. He loves watching people, repeating what they say, and doing what they do.
I always have fun when I go down there, but I always come back with something learned or a new perspective on something. Sometimes it is simply a reminder of a simple truth that for some reason comes front and center. There is definitely a reason that Jesus always compares things to little children: because they live simple lives. The major reason most people don't live the way Jesus calls them to live is because they have so much going on that they have been trained to think is important that it is impossible for them to live for Christ. When you look at children, they have nothing that is their own, they are dependent on someone else to provide their basic needs, and they just want someone to love.
For years now, I have been teaching other people how to live their lives the way Jesus would want them to. It is crazy to think that I have spent more time, teaching and preparing to teach others how to live their lives than I have looking at my own life. Now I look at my life from time to time, but whenever I am taking in new information or knowledge I commonly am taking it in through the filter of, "how am I going to teach this to someone else." I know this isn't right, but it's true. This brings me to the realization I came to this weekend: other people are watching me live and are trying to live in the same way I am. That isn't an arrogant statement, it is just reality. You have people who are trying to live like you are too. You can choose to ignore that in the name of
There are two different questions to ask here, but the problem is they are very different questions which often get confused for the same question. The first is, "Am I following Jesus?" and the second is, "Am I a person I would follow and/or encourage others to follow?" If you can honestly say yes to the first one, then the second should be a fairly easy yes.
The problem is that people think if you can say yes to the second question then you are following Jesus. There are some very good people in whom I would entrust many things, but they are not following Jesus. But that is another topic for another time. I am not here to talk about that, but simply the importance of introspection and looking at whether you are really the person you are trying to be?
Hopefully this poem by the great basketball coach, John Wooden, will help:
A careful man I ought to be,
A little fellow follows me,
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he'll go the selfsame way.
I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate'er he sees me do, he tries;
Like me, he says, he's going to be,
The little chap who follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine
The base in me he must not see,
The little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go,
Through summer's fun and winter's snow,
In building for the years to be
The little chap who follows me!
If I ever think no one is watching me, I am fooling myself.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Busy Fall at CrossView
There are a lot of things that are great about fall, but it is also very busy. This weekend my brother is coming to visit, but I won't be spending much time with him or his family as I am hosting a 30 hour famine at our church. The famine is looking like it will be a good event, we are expecting about 50 students there and our goal is to raise $5,000 for WorldVision. I think we are going to make it. I laugh when I see or hear people looking down on Jr. High students as if they can't make a difference in the world. We have a Jr. High girl who has over 26 sponsors for the famine, which collectively will put her around $300 for just one student. I love when students catch the vision of something that God is doing and they go all out in pursuit.
The following weekend (Sept 30-Oct 2)we will be going to our Jr. High retreat. It is called, "Warped: transforming a distorted heart and soul." It should be a good weekend, but it will be a busy couple of weeks. If you are planning on going to the retreat, you must register online at 79erscamp.com by the time the sun goes down this Sunday, September 25. You will not regret going on this weekend retreat. It is only $65 plus money for 2 fast food meals. I would say, along with many others that it is well worth it! We will be meeting at CrossView at 3 pm on Friday and leave at 3:45 following our rules ceremony. So you must be here for the rules ceremony with your release form. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Finally, I must give a shout out to my friends Taylor Farris and Ben McFarland who will be getting married the weekend after the retreat! I'm excited for what the future holds for these two love birds!
The following weekend (Sept 30-Oct 2)we will be going to our Jr. High retreat. It is called, "Warped: transforming a distorted heart and soul." It should be a good weekend, but it will be a busy couple of weeks. If you are planning on going to the retreat, you must register online at 79erscamp.com by the time the sun goes down this Sunday, September 25. You will not regret going on this weekend retreat. It is only $65 plus money for 2 fast food meals. I would say, along with many others that it is well worth it! We will be meeting at CrossView at 3 pm on Friday and leave at 3:45 following our rules ceremony. So you must be here for the rules ceremony with your release form. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Finally, I must give a shout out to my friends Taylor Farris and Ben McFarland who will be getting married the weekend after the retreat! I'm excited for what the future holds for these two love birds!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Fall is Here
My two favorite times of year: one, is the transition from winter to spring, but my all-time favorite time of the year is from summer to fall. Fall is when everything gets going again. You just came off of a (hopefully) relaxing summer and life is starting to pick up the pace. The long-sleeves come out, golf is followed by sitting around watching football, school kicks back in for some (not me anymore!), hot apple cider, fall retreats, the changing of leaves, and bonfires just to name a few of the best things about fall. You can be outside and not sweat to death is another big perk.
It starts a transition time. For me this means that my feet are starting to get planted, I'm getting acquainted with the new job, small groups are starting up, new series are beginning, and energy is being built going into a new year.
There are many reasons to love fall. It is a wonderful time of the year. I just thought I would share that with all of my dear friends.
It starts a transition time. For me this means that my feet are starting to get planted, I'm getting acquainted with the new job, small groups are starting up, new series are beginning, and energy is being built going into a new year.
There are many reasons to love fall. It is a wonderful time of the year. I just thought I would share that with all of my dear friends.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Stretch Yourself
How do you stretch yourself in a typical week?
When was the last time you read something simply because you were curious about a subject?
Are you content with where your life is? Or are you wanting to take your life to the next level? How do you define the next level?
If you could change one thing about your life right now, what would it be?
What is one thing you could challenge yourself to do/learn/study in the next month, two months or season of life that would stretch you?
You might be thinking I just don't have time to do that right now, and maybe you are right. Some people already are working too hard and spend very little time with their families or doing something that will rejuvenate them. But many people are really good at making excuses as to why they won't do something that they have always wanted to do or even something that they have felt like they should do, but just don't think they have the means to do it.
What is one thing that you could implement in your life in the short time ahead of you that would either make you a better person or make the life of a person around you better?
There are different zones we have:
1. The Comfort Zone - this is the area of life we are comfortable in (I know, this is deep stuff). The comfort zone is all the stuff that we are good at and we have time to do every day. When we do things that fall into the comfort zone we don't get nervous, and our blood pressure stays pretty consistent.
2. The Panic Zone - this zone is about as opposite from the comfort zone as day is from night. The panic zone is filled with things that we do not know how to do, or they are things that we just don't face on a day to day level. When we are faced with these situations we fly into a... well, panic (again, I know, the clever level is astounding). Our blood-pressure rises, our nerves take over, and we launch into fight or flight. As a result, we don't learn much when we are in this zone.
3. The Stretch Zone - the final zone lies between the comfort zone and the panic zone. This is the area that... well, you guessed it, stretches you. This is something that is out of your daily routine, it is uncomfortable, and will take you a little more time to do than the things that lie in your comfort zone.
Now, if you are curious as to why the talk about all the zones we live in, I will tell you. The zone that you learn the most in is not the comfort zone like you might think. It is the stretch zone. Very little learning is done in the panic zone and growing is rarely found in the comfort zone. But, the stretch zone is uncomfortable because we don't know what we are doing when it comes to this zone of life. It isn't like being at home where we know the floor plan and what is on every wall like we know where every freckle is on the back of our hand. The stretch zone is more like moving to a new town where we don't really know how to get from one place to another. We can, because there are maps. We can even get familiar with that town to where we do know it like the back of our hand, because there are things to instruct us, and people to show us around and tell us where to find a short cut.
Evaluation is something I have been looking at a lot lately. I have been trying to evaluate where I am learning and where I am just doing what I have to. Evaluation is crucial to growth. If you want to grow, you must evaluate where you are and what you have or haven't been learning. There is no secret formula to this, just do it. Where are you? Where have you been? Where do you want to go? and how do you get there? Then, you have to do what is uncomfortable and stretch yourself to do new things and learn new things. It's the only way to grow. It's the only way to experience something you have always wanted to experience, but never had the opportunity to because fear held you back.
What is cool is a stretch zone does what it says, it stretches. And the thing it stretches is your comfort zone. So, as you spend time in the stretch zone, the things that were uncomfortable become comfortable.
When was the last time you read something simply because you were curious about a subject?
Are you content with where your life is? Or are you wanting to take your life to the next level? How do you define the next level?
If you could change one thing about your life right now, what would it be?
What is one thing you could challenge yourself to do/learn/study in the next month, two months or season of life that would stretch you?
You might be thinking I just don't have time to do that right now, and maybe you are right. Some people already are working too hard and spend very little time with their families or doing something that will rejuvenate them. But many people are really good at making excuses as to why they won't do something that they have always wanted to do or even something that they have felt like they should do, but just don't think they have the means to do it.
What is one thing that you could implement in your life in the short time ahead of you that would either make you a better person or make the life of a person around you better?
There are different zones we have:
1. The Comfort Zone - this is the area of life we are comfortable in (I know, this is deep stuff). The comfort zone is all the stuff that we are good at and we have time to do every day. When we do things that fall into the comfort zone we don't get nervous, and our blood pressure stays pretty consistent.
2. The Panic Zone - this zone is about as opposite from the comfort zone as day is from night. The panic zone is filled with things that we do not know how to do, or they are things that we just don't face on a day to day level. When we are faced with these situations we fly into a... well, panic (again, I know, the clever level is astounding). Our blood-pressure rises, our nerves take over, and we launch into fight or flight. As a result, we don't learn much when we are in this zone.
3. The Stretch Zone - the final zone lies between the comfort zone and the panic zone. This is the area that... well, you guessed it, stretches you. This is something that is out of your daily routine, it is uncomfortable, and will take you a little more time to do than the things that lie in your comfort zone.
Now, if you are curious as to why the talk about all the zones we live in, I will tell you. The zone that you learn the most in is not the comfort zone like you might think. It is the stretch zone. Very little learning is done in the panic zone and growing is rarely found in the comfort zone. But, the stretch zone is uncomfortable because we don't know what we are doing when it comes to this zone of life. It isn't like being at home where we know the floor plan and what is on every wall like we know where every freckle is on the back of our hand. The stretch zone is more like moving to a new town where we don't really know how to get from one place to another. We can, because there are maps. We can even get familiar with that town to where we do know it like the back of our hand, because there are things to instruct us, and people to show us around and tell us where to find a short cut.
Evaluation is something I have been looking at a lot lately. I have been trying to evaluate where I am learning and where I am just doing what I have to. Evaluation is crucial to growth. If you want to grow, you must evaluate where you are and what you have or haven't been learning. There is no secret formula to this, just do it. Where are you? Where have you been? Where do you want to go? and how do you get there? Then, you have to do what is uncomfortable and stretch yourself to do new things and learn new things. It's the only way to grow. It's the only way to experience something you have always wanted to experience, but never had the opportunity to because fear held you back.
What is cool is a stretch zone does what it says, it stretches. And the thing it stretches is your comfort zone. So, as you spend time in the stretch zone, the things that were uncomfortable become comfortable.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Building Rome
At some point in your life, I’m sure you have had an idea for something great. Everyone does. It’s interesting, because the ratio of people who have big desires compared to the people who pursue/achieve their big desires is overwhelmingly lopsided.
Why is it that so many people don’t pursue something that they are sure they need, or something that they believe will be beneficial?
People have great ideas of things they want to do… whether it is to get college degree, maybe it is to mend a relationship with a loved one, or maybe it is to have a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father, who created them.
All are noble goals and they are worth chasing after, but why do people give up?
Often times we have a mindset that if God is for something you are going to do then everything will just go great, there will be no bumps in the road, and everything will be smooth sailing. And I’m not sure where we get that method of thinking. Jesus even promises that if we are His disciples, the world will hate us (in case you are wondering, being a disciple of Jesus is a great thing to strive for). Things won’t go as we see planned, but it will be for God’s glory. He, Jesus, even says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”
According to Jesus, a rough road is a mark of being on the right path. The disconnect is that we think a big bump in the road might mean that God is trying to tell us that we are on the wrong path and it is time to give up. This happens all over the place. But rough times are necessary if you are going to do anything great or worth your time.
This isn’t the easiest thing to see in the mirror. But whenever someone else is striving toward a noble goal and they give up, it is very easy to see and be critical. Seeing someone give up makes you want to wring their neck. But nearly all of us are guilty of this on some level.
Let’s take a look at the Ancient Romans. When they were building Rome, they were doing things that had never been done before. The structures they were building were hybrids of other Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Greece. They adopted particular elemental structures and pieced them together in ways that had never been attempted before. The Romans were the first to use an arch in a building. An arch is an incredible piece of structure that no one point of the arch holds all the weight. But no one had used it in a building before the Romans. They were doing things that had never been done to create something that had never been created before!
Someone had a vision for the end and because of that vision they relentlessly pursued their goal until it was complete.
But… Rome was not built in a day.
I wonder if we were able to go to the people who were building Rome at the time and talk with them, I wonder how discouraged they might have felt at times. If there were ever times where they thought, to themselves or out loud, “This isn’t going as planned. Maybe they were right, maybe this can’t be built. Maybe we should just give up.”
There had to have been tough times, but they couldn’t give up, because Rome as we know it would not be. Sure, someone eventually might have done something as cool as the Romans did with their infrastructure, but the Romans did what most people won’t do: they kept going. They endured. They fought until the end.
Rome was not built in a day.
And neither will any great thing you ever want to accomplish.
Romans 5 says, “we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”
When we go through trials, we are told things will get better, so we have that hope. However, we want that hope right now and we get discouraged when it isn’t coming. But if we were to get hope right away, then we wouldn’t really have endured anything. And if we don’t endure anything, then we will never build or develop character. But the only reason anyone will endure is if they have that vision of hope, because hope does not disappoint us.
Hope is one of the 3 greatest things in the world according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 when he says, “these 3 remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” The reason people will endure is because they have hope for what is to come. But without suffering or endurance you will never reach the thing in which you have hope. So always trust, always hope, and always persevere. Without this, nothing great will ever happen, but do it and I believe it is the key to your life being radically transformed!
Rome was not built in a day and neither is any great thing you are trying to do.
Why is it that so many people don’t pursue something that they are sure they need, or something that they believe will be beneficial?
People have great ideas of things they want to do… whether it is to get college degree, maybe it is to mend a relationship with a loved one, or maybe it is to have a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father, who created them.
All are noble goals and they are worth chasing after, but why do people give up?
Often times we have a mindset that if God is for something you are going to do then everything will just go great, there will be no bumps in the road, and everything will be smooth sailing. And I’m not sure where we get that method of thinking. Jesus even promises that if we are His disciples, the world will hate us (in case you are wondering, being a disciple of Jesus is a great thing to strive for). Things won’t go as we see planned, but it will be for God’s glory. He, Jesus, even says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”
According to Jesus, a rough road is a mark of being on the right path. The disconnect is that we think a big bump in the road might mean that God is trying to tell us that we are on the wrong path and it is time to give up. This happens all over the place. But rough times are necessary if you are going to do anything great or worth your time.
This isn’t the easiest thing to see in the mirror. But whenever someone else is striving toward a noble goal and they give up, it is very easy to see and be critical. Seeing someone give up makes you want to wring their neck. But nearly all of us are guilty of this on some level.
Let’s take a look at the Ancient Romans. When they were building Rome, they were doing things that had never been done before. The structures they were building were hybrids of other Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Greece. They adopted particular elemental structures and pieced them together in ways that had never been attempted before. The Romans were the first to use an arch in a building. An arch is an incredible piece of structure that no one point of the arch holds all the weight. But no one had used it in a building before the Romans. They were doing things that had never been done to create something that had never been created before!
Someone had a vision for the end and because of that vision they relentlessly pursued their goal until it was complete.
But… Rome was not built in a day.
I wonder if we were able to go to the people who were building Rome at the time and talk with them, I wonder how discouraged they might have felt at times. If there were ever times where they thought, to themselves or out loud, “This isn’t going as planned. Maybe they were right, maybe this can’t be built. Maybe we should just give up.”
There had to have been tough times, but they couldn’t give up, because Rome as we know it would not be. Sure, someone eventually might have done something as cool as the Romans did with their infrastructure, but the Romans did what most people won’t do: they kept going. They endured. They fought until the end.
Rome was not built in a day.
And neither will any great thing you ever want to accomplish.
Romans 5 says, “we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”
When we go through trials, we are told things will get better, so we have that hope. However, we want that hope right now and we get discouraged when it isn’t coming. But if we were to get hope right away, then we wouldn’t really have endured anything. And if we don’t endure anything, then we will never build or develop character. But the only reason anyone will endure is if they have that vision of hope, because hope does not disappoint us.
Hope is one of the 3 greatest things in the world according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 when he says, “these 3 remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” The reason people will endure is because they have hope for what is to come. But without suffering or endurance you will never reach the thing in which you have hope. So always trust, always hope, and always persevere. Without this, nothing great will ever happen, but do it and I believe it is the key to your life being radically transformed!
Rome was not built in a day and neither is any great thing you are trying to do.
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